I read your original thread with interest because I have not formally begun (well, except for some rather informal phonics stuff and read-alouds) homeschooling, and I know how low my tolerance-of-stress level can be at times. I'm so glad you had a good day! It gives me hope, and as you said, it's all about hope.:D

Thanks, everyone! I knew I could count on you! :grouphug:

Lots of good suggestions here. I had forgotten about the movie Bella. I wanted to see that one. I love the idea of a suspenseful thriller, too. Lots of food for thought. . . Anyone else?

Ooooh--Cary Grant. I like that idea. And you know, I've never seen Sergeant York. . . . Keep 'em comin'!:D

DH and I are having a date night in tonight--DMIL is taking the girls off our hands! We thought we'd like to watch a movie, and since we haven't done that in ages, we're really at a loss as to what to get. We like clean stuff (usually nothing over PG:blush: because neither of us can tolerate gratuitous ANYTHING or lots of bad language) and old stuff. So hit me with your best suggestions!

Okay, this is not old an old, classic novel, but it is a beautiful one: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. It's set in Kentucky from roughly the time of WWI until the 1980s. Wendell Berry is a poet (really) and his insight into the workings of the human heart is just breathtaking.

Thanks for all the help and encouragement. I think we're on the right track; I just don't always know when to forge ahead and when to back off. Reya--I went to donpotter.net, but I couldn't find Word Mastery. What am I missing?

Thanks, Laurel. I think many times I get too excited for my own (and my dds' own) good. :blush: We read aloud a lot, and dd has always loved this. In fact, the first thing she wants to do every morning is "read a book." I think because of this I have always expected her to pick up and read with no problem at all. What I'm having to realize is that for almost everyone, it is a process. I think I will hold myself back just a little and give her a month or two to catch up. Thanks! Anyone else care to weigh in?

I have been formally working with my four year old dd (she is 4 years and 4 months, to be exact) for about a month now. We have been learning the consonant sounds and the short vowel sounds. So far, we have learned /m/, /v/, /c/, /f/, /s/, /b/, /g/, /t/, and /a/. She gets all the sounds very well. In fact, I would not hesitate to say the she already knows the sounds of all the letters of the alphabet. Because she recognizes them so well, I started spelling cvc words and helping her sound them out. She does okay with this, although it usually takes my sounding them out for her to recognize what they are. We also do Starfall on the computer and she has a pre-K workbook from Target that she does. However, last week, because I was curious about whether or not she could do it, I had her read the first Bob book. While I would not say it clicked with her, she was determined to finish reading it. I sense that we are definitely at her frustration level here. We did the first Bob book again today, and she mainly tried to look at the pictures and figure out the sentences. She grew frustrated if I covered up the pictures. I'm sort of at a loss now as to what to do. I don't want my over-zealousness to hinder her learning at her own pace, but then again, I don't want to back off just because it's hard. I realize that she's only four and therefore is really ahead of where anyone expects her to be. Should I purchase some sort of formal reading curriculum so that I'm more systematic and have a guide? I need some gentle guidance here. :confused:

I'm not sure that I'm the best person to answer this since I have an almost-three year old whom I cannot remember to take to the potty regularly, but here's my two cents, FWIW: I potty trained my eldest dd for an entire year, or at least that's what it seemed like. I finally reached the conclusion that she'd do it when she was ready, which was about three years old, for her. My youngest dd actually used the potty (pooped almost all the time, even tinkled occasionally) before she was two, due, I'm sure, to older sister's influence. However, on the day that I babysat a friend's almost one-year-old, I watched my then two-and-a-half year old regress before my very eyes. Jealousy is a very powerful emotion! Now she uses the potty sometimes, mainly when we put her up there. I'm trying to be relaxed about it. I guess you could say that I feel that the relaxed approach is the best, but I have a hard time restraining myself.;)

As a mother to two preschoolers, it does my heart good to read this thread! Keep 'em coming!:D

Thank you. That's sort of what I thought, but I just couldn't quite get a handle on it. I think I'll probably be passing a lot of bean dip!:tongue_smilie:

Forgive me--I'm new here. :001_smile: I've noticed the use of this phrase, usually related to the discussion of homeschooling with someone who disagrees with it. Can someone please enlighten me?:confused::001_smile:

I have no idea because I have two preschoolers and am very new at this, but I'm keeping my eye on this thread because I want to know, too. I can see this happening in our future, especially since my girls are only 18 months apart in age.

Thank you for all your thoughtful replies. I think that I am going to learn much more through homeschooling than my children ever will . . . :tongue_smilie:

Oh, yes, we have an enforced rest time every day here. DD4 usually goes to sleep, even though she later denies it.:001_smile: I still rock dd2 to sleep. I refuse to give up this time, even when they are really too old for it. I think they'll eventually listen to a book on tape during this time. I know that homeschooling really is a matter of the heart. It's just so hard for me to completely make up my mind about it (not really my mind, but you know what I mean) and not be assailed with doubts at the next turn. DH reminds me that we just have to take it one year at a time. That's what I'm going to TRY to do. Thank you, ladies, for discussing this with me!:grouphug:

No, I don't usually do voices, mainly because I can't remember to keep it up once I start. :tongue_smilie:

I have another idea: How about reading through the Newbery and honor books list as their interests dictate (and of course, as you approve)?

How about all the dog books--i.e. Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Big Red, etc.?

I LOVE her hair and her look. She's just beautiful, in my opinion. Alas, my hair is too short for that look at all, even if I could figure out how to do it. :confused: Besides, I'm much more interested in convenience and lack-of-fuss than appearance, unfortunately.:tongue_smilie:

Thanks, everyone. I know I need to take care of myself, and my DH is WONDERFUL about taking the girls off my hands for the evening. In fact, he's taking them over to his mom's tonight. The "still, small voice" in my heart tells me this is the right thing to do, and I'm beginning to suspect it's as much for me as for them. I KNOW it will make me more dependent on the Lord. As far as my whiny 3 year old, I'm pretty sure it's just a phase. That doesn't make it any easier, though, does it? My girls are really very good. At least, that's what everyone tells me. :tongue_smilie: I'm probably overly sensitive to their "issues."

Thanks, everyone. I've been lurking (read: obsessed with) here for a month or two, and I know it's a great place for support. I think we've really just had a bad week. My dd who's almost 3 has been a whining mess all week. It really gets to me, and I lose it, and then I feel horribly guilty and bad over it all. It's a vicious cycle. We're already doing some pre-reading stuff (sounds) with lots of activities and lots of reading aloud. Really, our "learning time" is the highlight of our day. Both girls LOVE it. It's just the general whining, fighting, and arguing that get to me. Yes, I am a Christian, which is what I meant when I said that I know I can't do it on my own. Still, even with the Lord helping me (and I KNOW He does!), I blow it sometimes. Big time, sometimes. I feel like I'm apologizing to my children a lot lately. I just need grace. Anyway, I have a lot of apprehension about homeschooling, as I already mentioned. When do you ever know unequivocally, without a doubt that you are doing the right thing? :bigear:

I WANT to homeschool. I really, really do. I am a product of the ps that worked fairly well for me. I graduated at the top of my class (as did my dh) and even went on to teach school (ditto for dh). However, I do believe that school has changed even since I was a child, especially with the emphasis in my state on standardized tests. I won't even mention the societal changes that I'm not crazy about. I love the IDEA of homeschooling. It makes me happy to teach, and I love my children more than life itself. Now, here come the BUTs. . . First, I just don't know that I have the patience day in and day out to deal with my children in a positive way. Yes, I am a SAHM, and no, my children have never been to daycare or even a mothers-day-out program, so I guess you could say that I deal with them in a (mostly) positive way on a daily basis already, but it wears me out. I don't know that I can do it for the long haul. Second, my 4 year old dd seems to really want to go to school. She mentions it occassionally on her own. I know that for some homeschoolers this is a non-issue, and in the grand scheme of things, I suppose it is for me, too. However, when I'm already feeling so unsure of this decision, it's hard to think of denying her something that she thinks she wants to do. Okay, I'm sorry for this ramble. It's been a difficult day around here, and I'm feeling the pressure. I know I cannot do any of this on my own. Anyone have any words of wisdon/encouragement for me?:bigear:

Love this! And I suppose that's probably true. I suppose I was just having one of my 1000 daily moments of panic that I'm going to ruin my children in some way.:tongue_smilie:

I just started these with dd. I think they're considered good because they are simple and have controlled vocabulary (I think that's the terminology). In other words, like all early readers, they introduce certain sounds a few at a time. DD is only four, so we're just sort of playing with them right now, but she was pretty excited about being able to read the first one (with a lot of help).